Kapitel 75: Chapter 75: Christmas in Myeong-dong
Song Hyun-ji called out to me from a distance, running over.
She didn't care that we were in the middle of bustling Myeong-dong.
"Am I late? No, I'm right on time, aren't I?"
"You're fine. I just got here early."
With both of us busy—me with my own schedule, and Hyun-ji preparing for the college entrance exam—we hadn't met up properly in a while.
But now that the exams were over, she'd practically forced me to agree to meet on Christmas Eve, so I'd cleared my schedule for today.
"Did you get your exam results yet?"
"Oppa, why do you always have to ask about stuff like that on days like this? You're such an old man!"
"Haha."
I tried to laugh it off, but Hyun-ji jumped at the chance to keep teasing me.
"Like I've said before, you think too much. Stop acting like you're so old."
Well, what was I supposed to do? I *was* older.
Myeong-dong was packed with couples and families, enjoying the festive season as the night rolled in.
"I know a great place to eat! Do you like Thai food?"
"I'm fine with anything… You pick."
"Let's go!"
Hyun-ji naturally linked her arm with mine and pulled me along.
"This place is amazing! Have you ever been to Thailand, oppa?"
"Hmm… once or twice."
"Do you like it? I've never been abroad, but you travel to the U.S. all the time, right?"
"When you start college next year, let's go together. Is there anywhere you want to visit?"
"Really? You think my grandfather will let me?"
Even while we waited for the food, the conversation kept flowing.
"So, which university are you thinking of?"
"Korea University might be a bit tough, but… Grandfather says if I don't go there, I should study abroad."
"Chairman Song said that?"
Chairman Song wasn't the type to send family members abroad for school.
If anything, he believed in graduating from a local university and then throwing you directly into the deep end of the business world.
Maybe it was because he thought you learned more on the job than in a classroom.
But times were changing. Now, most of the third-generation heirs were studying abroad, though usually after finishing their degrees in Korea.
"But I want to experience college life here in Korea."
"You'll get into Korea University. Don't worry."
"Yeah, right. 'Studying is the easiest thing in the world!'"
"…"
Why did I say that?
Not long after, the food Hyun-ji had ordered arrived.
"Oppa, try this. It's really good!"
Her eyes were focused on the food as she started eating with her chopsticks.
"You're not eating?"
It wasn't until she noticed me watching her that she glanced up.
"I will. You eat up."
"Okay."
After we finished eating, we headed to a nearby café. Myeong-dong was so packed on Christmas Eve that finding a seat was nearly impossible, but luckily, we found a spot.
"Let's get a parfait!"
I nodded at her suggestion.
"I'm almost twenty now."
"Excited?"
"Yeah! I can finally do whatever I want."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"I was just thinking about how you seem to have all these expectations of college life from dramas."
"Huh?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's mostly just more studying. It's like an extension of high school."
"Tell me that's not true!"
"Well, that's how it was for me."
"That's because you're boring! There's so much to do—mixers, MTs, rock cafés, nightclubs… How can you just study all the time?"
"Most students live like that. But I guess someone like you, who has everything, won't have to worry as much."
"There you go again, talking like an old man."
Hyun-ji pouted.
"So, are you planning to go to any mixers?"
I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.
Hyun-ji just grinned mischievously.
"What? You don't give me any reason to feel secure. Don't like it?"
"…"
"See? You can't even answer."
Maybe I was keeping my distance because of the scars from my past life.
"It does bother me a little."
"What's that supposed to mean? Have you even dated anyone before?"
She teased, but there was a hint of satisfaction in her tone.
"Anyway, no mixers."
"You're impossible! At least be clear about it. You're so boring!"
She was clearly used to my way of talking by now, smiling even as she complained.
"Time to go. You said you're staying at your grandfather's place tonight, right?"
"Yeah, until the end of the year."
"I'll take you home."
The café had quieted down a lot by the time we got up to leave.
As I stood, Hyun-ji followed, gathering her things.
Even though it was late, Myeong-dong was still lively. Manager Ma had already pulled the car up, waiting for us near the main road.
"Today was fun. I like hanging out with you, oppa. I don't have to worry about what people think."
No matter how much of her life she had spent with her maternal family, being the daughter of a chaebol wasn't easy.
After saying that, Hyun-ji closed her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder, drifting off to sleep.
I stayed still, watching the passing scenery.
Or rather, I watched Hyun-ji's reflection in the car window.
I couldn't help but smile.
By the time we arrived at Chairman Song's house, snow had begun to fall.
It was a white Christmas.
"Hyun-ji, wake up. We're here."
"Mmm…"
She rubbed her eyes as she slowly woke up.
I let out a quiet laugh.
"Sorry, I dozed off."
"You must've been really tired."
"We did talk and laugh a lot today."
Now fully awake, Hyun-ji stretched and quickly got out of the car.
"It's snowing!"
She stood in the snow, gazing up at the sky.
I followed her out of the car.
"It's cold. You should go inside."
Hyun-ji glared at me, wide-eyed.
"What's wrong with you? It's not just snow! It's a white Christmas!"
"Snow is just snow. What's the big deal?"
"You're so heartless! No sense of romance at all!"
Hyun-ji stared at me for a moment.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"No, you're handsome… but you talk like such an old man. It's so weird!"
"Haha."
I couldn't help but laugh at her serious expression.
And then, all of a sudden—
Hyun-ji stood on her tiptoes and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
"That's it for today! See you later, oppa!"
With that, she dashed inside the house.
I stood there, touching my lips, watching her disappear through the door.
I felt a mix of surprise and happiness.
It was the first time since my return that I'd felt like this.
But it wasn't a bad feeling at all.
* * *
Time had passed quickly, and now it was 1996.
The new year kicked off with a shock—Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded, leaving the country in disbelief.
In April, the ruling party suffered a massive defeat in the general elections, and the President was scrambling to regain his support base.
With the President's influence waning, Cheongpung Group saw an opportunity to reassert its political power.
Meanwhile, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party regained control, signaling a shift toward conservatism. This meant more money flowing into Cheongpung's coffers.
Unifying all the criminal organizations in Seoul under Park Dong-su hadn't been without its challenges, but in the end, my money did the trick. Bribes and ruthless suppression of dissent brought them in line.
It was something no one had ever accomplished—the complete unification of Seoul's underworld.
Park Dong-su took the helm as chairman, with the elder members placed in executive roles, structuring the criminal empire like a legitimate corporation.
"Chairman Park."
"Haha, Chiara."
"Feeling good?"
"Why wouldn't I? No one else could've pulled this off."
It was true. The power struggles in Korea's underworld had always been fierce.
Even the political thugs backed by the government had never managed to unify all of Seoul.
But times had changed.
Loyalty? Honor? That was all nonsense.
In the end, it was all about money.
Just look at the amount I had to invest to make this happen.
"What about the provincial gangs?"
"We'll need to start reining them in too. Either they join us, or we clean them up."
"It'd be best to bring them into the fold if you can."
"Of course, but it won't be as easy as it sounds."
"Use the executives wisely."
Park Dong-su nodded slightly.
"What's the reaction from the Chinese and Southeast Asian groups?"
"They haven't made any moves yet, probably because we don't clash much. They've got the drug trade locked down. At the last board meeting, quite a few of them were making excuses."
Drugs were something we could never fully eliminate.
"Keep them calm for now."
"Got it."
There was no need for me to get directly involved. Using Park Dong-su to control the underworld was the best approach.
"Let's have a drink. Congratulations on your success."
"Thanks. But really, it's all thanks to your help. No, you made this happen."
"You're too kind. Focus on growing the business through construction and security services. Try to avoid violent clashes. There's plenty to gain from the redevelopment projects alone."
You couldn't have redevelopment without security firms.
Even big corporations had to hire security companies to get the job done.
"So, what's next? What do you need me to do?"
Park Dong-su asked, handing me his empty glass.
"The Yakuza are going to start entering Korea. I expect they'll come through Busan, but we won't know for sure until it happens."
"Hmm… quite a few of the guys in Busan have ties to the Yakuza."
"Some of them will probably join forces with them. Keep a close watch on Busan."
"Understood."
No matter how tightly we tried to control things, there would always be dissent.
Whether they were bought off, intimidated, or just resented him, someone was bound to turn against us.
"First, focus on bringing as many of the other gangs as possible onto our side. Use money, use force, use whatever it takes. That's the priority."
"Got it."
He drank his glass in one go, lost in thought.
*Cheongpung Group has been too quiet lately.*
It didn't make sense. The gangs they controlled in Gangnam had been wiped out, and yet they hadn't made a move while Park was unifying the underworld.
*Well, it's not a bad thing, I guess.*
I decided not to dwell on it.
The drinking session with Park Dong-su stretched late into the night.
It felt good to see the foundations of the power I'd envisioned finally coming together.
* * *
"Grandfather, it's Mu-hyeok."
"Come in."
As I stepped into the study, my grandfather turned away from the window.
The view outside was ablaze with autumn colors, the leaves painting the landscape in deep reds and oranges.
In the past year, my grandfather had aged noticeably.
"Call Chief Ha, please."
Though he looked puzzled, my grandfather called for Chief Ha without a word.
"I'd like to convert all of your liquid assets into dollars."
I had already liquidated all the corporate bonds. By my calculation, my grandfather's remaining fortune—excluding the bonds, stocks, and real estate under my control—amounted to around three trillion won in cash.
"Hmm…"
My grandfather and anyone paying attention to the economy knew the dangers of short-term foreign debt.
He had been quick to catch on, largely thanks to my constant urging.
"By next year, the dollar will rise, and it will become increasingly difficult to obtain. We should stop lending money and begin converting everything to dollars now."
"Myung-hoon, what do you think?"
"The young master has a point, but converting all your cash assets into dollars won't be easy."
"I understand, but if we start slowly, we can manage."
By next year, the government would be working hard to defend the exchange rate, making it even more difficult. We needed to act now to avoid causing too much of a stir.
"Soon, dollars will be the real power. Please trust me one more time, Grandfather."
Just like in the 1970s, during my grandfather's heyday, when CEOs of major corporations would come to his mansion in Pyeongchang-dong to beg for loans. Except this time, they'd be begging for dollars, not won.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein